A brief report on an action learning group exploration of how older people adapt to change in later life

In collaboration with Age Concern UK, older people were invited to participate in action learning groups to explore how they adapt to change. Themes for discussion were initially identified using a nominal focus method. Discussions identified actual and desired methods of coping with changes in later life. A series of weekly meetings with three cohorts of urban, rural and sheltered accommodation participants with an average age of 81 years revealed that they were concerned with having to cope with and adapt to a wide range of experiences. These included the loss of sharing and reduced sociability, reduced mobility, bereavement, physical changes, having to move house order to cope with these experiences, participants engaged in a range of activities that centred on aspects of communication and social networking. Participants talked to each other socially and informally, exchanging information and advice. When able, they also participated in more structured but non-specific social events during which time they also had the opportunity more formal social networking and information exchange opportunities

Temporal stability of beliefs about medicines : implications for optimising adherence

Peer reviewedPostprin

Goal conflict, goal facilitation, and health professionals' provision of physical activity advice in primary care : An exploratory prospective study

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Statistical considerations in a systematic review of proxy measures of clinical behaviour

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Linked health data for pharmacovigilance in children : Perceived legal and ethical issues for stakeholders and data guardians

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Mainstreaming emergency contraception in Kenya: Final project report

For more than a decade, advocates have sought to improve access to emergency contraception (EC) around the world. These efforts have been highly successful in Europe and North America, have generated much debate in Latin America, and are beginning to take hold in Asia. In Africa, however, the success of EC programs remains limited. Even in countries where the regulatory environment is favorable, resource constraints within the public sector limit the ability to provide consistent and quality EC services at low cost. In a growing number of African countries, the private sector has emerged to fill these gaps, increasing access primarily among young, affluent urbanites. Low knowledge levels among the general population ultimately undermine the impact of such provision strategies. The initiative described in this report includes activities aimed at improving overall awareness of EC across Kenya and strengthening the quality of EC services in the public and private sectors. It was intended to serve as a model for other countries interested in improving access to EC, and to generate in-depth knowledge on EC program strategies and utilization characteristics in sub-Saharan Africa. This final project report details the outcomes of this initiative

Rv0989c encodes a novel (E)-geranyl diphosphate synthase facilitating decaprenyl diphosphate biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has a highly complex cell wall, which is required for both bacterial survival and infection. Cell wall biosynthesis is dependent on decaprenyl diphosphate as a glyco-carrier, which is hence an essential metabolite in this pathogen. Previous biochemical studies indicated (E)-geranyl diphosphate (GPP) is required for the synthesis of decaprenyl diphosphate. Here we demonstrate that Rv0989c encodes the “missing” GPP synthase, representing the first such enzyme to be characterized from bacteria, and which presumably is involved in decaprenyl diphosphate biosynthesis in Mtb. Our investigation also has revealed previously unrecognized substrate plasticity of the farnesyl diphosphate synthases from Mtb, resolving previous discrepancies between biochemical and genetic studies of cell wall biosynthesis

Feedback GAP : study protocol for a cluster-randomized trial of goal setting and action plans to increase the effectiveness of audit and feedback interventions in primary care

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Improving professional practice in the disclosure of a diagnosis of dementia : a modeling experiment to evaluate a theory-based intervention

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com.Peer reviewedPostprin

The Effect of Variability in the Powder/Liquid Ratio on the Strength of Zinc Phosphate Cement

Aim. To investigate (a) variability in powder/liquid proportioning and (b) effect of variability on diametral tensile strength (DTS), in a zinc phosphate cement. Statistical analyses (α = 0.05) were by Student's t-test in the case of powder/liquid ratio and one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD for pair-wise comparisons of mean DTS. The Null hypotheses were that (a) the powder-liquid mixing ratios would not differ from the manufacturer's recommended ratio (b) DTS of the set cement samples using the extreme powder/liquid ratios would not differ from those made using the recommended ratio. Methodology. 34 dental students dispensed the components according to the manufacturer's instructions. The maximum and minimum powder/liquid ratios, together with the manufacturer's recommended ratio, were used to prepare samples for DTS testing. Results. Powder/liquid ratios ranged from 2.386 to 1.018. The mean ratio (1.644) was not significantly different from the recommended value of 1.718 (P = 0.189). DTS values for the maximum and minimum ratios were both significantly different from each other (P < 0.001) and from the mean value obtained from the recommended ratio (P < 0.001). Conclusions. Variability exists in powder/liquid ratio for hand dispensed zinc phosphate cement. This variability can affect the DTS of the set material